A Hairy Situation
by Smenzer
Summary: First story in a new series. A strange woman creates a hairy problem for Catherine and Elliot. Can Vincent solve it? CV Increased fantasy content! RR Crossover fic
1. Default Chapter

Title: A Hairy Situation

Author: Smenzer

Rating: PG

Pairing: Catherine/Vincent

Archive: Yes, please. Let me know if you take it, OK?

Teaser: A strange woman spells trouble for Vincent & Catherine.

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. Vincent, Catherine and Elliot belong to Republic Pictures or whoever owns the Rights. Discord and Aphrodite belong to Studios USA or whoever owns the Rights to Xena. This is just for fun. No money is being made.

The woman sat on the flat roof of Catherine's apartment building, her long straight black hair blowing in the cold wind. Wearing only a skimpy top made from pieces of crisscrossed black leather, a short leather skirt and black boots, the cold didn't seem to affect her. She was perched on the very edge of the roof, her legs dangling in the empty air. Fearless, she leaned forward so she could watch the unusual couple several floors below. Her slim fingers gripped the stone edge as she leaned even further out, eager to see what they would do this night. Most of the time it was boring, he would read poetry or they would just talk. But sometimes she got lucky and there was some action.

She loved seeing blood, hearing the screams. Danger followed the woman around like fleas on a cat.

On nights like those she followed them, unseen by anyone. Not even HE knew of her presence. And she planned to keep it that way. 

But lately things had been boring. Too boring. If the poetry mush kept up, she'd have to create some action herself.

Voices floated up to her sensitive ears from the balcony.

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" 

"Vincent, it's just a little scratch! Look, it's not even bleeding. Now don't worry about it. It's my own fault I tripped. If you wouldn't have caught me ..."

"It's not your fault, Catherine. The stairs need to be repaired. We have put it off long enough. I'll tell Father as soon as I return Below."

The woman on the roof laughed. "Oh, this is too good! He scratched her! I bet you feel all guilty now."

Yep, there he was with his head hanging down, hiding his blue eyes from his love by the thick mane of tawny hair. He stared at his hands, cursing his fate to be born this way. And now he had accidentally scratched Catherine. "If only I could be normal. We wouldn't have to hide our relationship from the world. And perhaps then we could be together."

"But I love you just as you are, Vincent. You know that." Catherine told him as she pressed her face against his chest, her arms wrapped around his solid body. She felt safe and secure in his arms, even if she had witnessed what those nails of his could do. 

Up on the roof, the woman in black laughed again, her face pale against the cascade of black hair. "So you like hairy men, do you? Let's liven things up a bit! See how you like it then."

She held out her palm, moving her other hand above it. Soon a small red ball appeared, no larger than a golf ball. The ball flickered as the red colors swirled around, as if it were a tiny version of the planet Jupiter. She flipped her hand over and watched as the ball slowly floated down until it landed on Catherine's head. An instant later it was gone, having sunk into her body.

"Now the fun starts!" The woman laughed, throwing her head back in glee. "This is going to be good!"

****

The following morning Catherine woke up in her bed and stretched. She had spent a good part of the night talking with Vincent, but now she needed to get ready for work. And since she had a court case on her schedule, she had to look her best. She just hoped she didn't have any black circles under her eyes from staying up so late with Vincent! Catherine shook her head. "Sooner or later those hours are going to catch up with me. I just hope it's not today."

Crawling out of bed, she padded barefoot to the bathroom. Usually in the morning the floor was ice beneath her feet, but today Catherine didn't feel it. Reaching the bathroom, she hurried inside and turned on the shower. Slipping off her nightgown, she put one foot in the shower and stopped in shock.

"What the ...?" Catherine stared at her leg in shock. Her entire leg was covered in thick brown hair, all the way to the ankle. Glancing at the other leg, she grimaced. She would have to spend extra time shaving off all the hair. She certainly couldn't go to work like this. Sighing, she pulled out the shaving cream and razor. "I thought I shaved yesterday..."

Stepping into the shower, she laughed. "Maybe I'm spending too much time with Vincent. I'm loosing track of the days!"

For it couldn't have been only yesterday morning when she shaved last. Hair couldn't grow that quickly.

Could it?

She had finished her shower and was busy shaving her leg when the doorbell rang. Pulling on a thick robe that went to her knees, she tied the belt securely. Reaching the door, she peered out the tiny eyehole to see who it was. A familiar figure in a gray suit stood just on the other side. Sighing, she opened the door.

"Good morning, Cathy! I brought you some flowers!" Elliot Burch gushed, holding out a bouquet of bright flowers to her. His eyes took in her state of dress, and then went lower to her hairy legs. A smile crept across his lips. "But maybe I should have brought you some razors. Guess I got here kind of early. But go on take the flowers. No strings attached."

"It seems I could use some razors this morning. " Catherine reached for the flowers, knowing it was no use to argue with Elliot. Maybe he just wanted to talk. Her fingertips brushed against his hand as she gripped the flowers and he jerked away.

"Ow!" Elliot yanked his hand away, staring at the tiny red streak on his palm. "You need to cut your nails. How can you get any work done with those long things?"

Catherine lifted her hand and stared at it. Her nails were long, a lot longer than she thought they were. "I had no idea they were that long, really, Elliot. Here, let me get you something for that."

"Are you sure you're all right, Cathy?" He asked as he followed her into the living room and sat down on the sofa. "I know there's lots of things you don't want to tell me, but this just seems so odd. I mean, fingernails normally don't scratch like that."

Unless it's Vincent's nails. Catherine thought as she brought Elliot the materials to clean the scratch. Placing it on the coffee table, she tried to keep her hands from shaking. First the hair on her legs, now her fingernails. What would be next? "Please excuse me. I need to get dressed."

"Sure, go ahead." Elliot told her as he picked up the bottle of antiseptic. "We can talk when you get out. Take your time."

Safe in the bathroom, she leaned against the closed door and stared at her hands. Her mind whirled around in confusion. "What's happening to me?"

******

That morning at work, Catherine tried to concentrate on her job. She knew she was living two lives at the same time, her normal life Above working at the DA's office and her secret life with Vincent. Sometimes those lives interfered with each other, often not smoothly. Usually it was a minor thing, like someone Below getting sick and the tunnel world needing her help. But nothing like this had ever happened before. Had she contracted something from Vincent, something that was making her get hairy and her nails grow long? She knew that was impossible. Vincent was just ... Vincent. He couldn't inflict his uniqueness on anyone. It was just simple logic: if a spider bit you it didn't turn you into a spider, nor a cat's scratch into a cat.

She tried to push the worries from her mind, yet they refused to go. By the time she arrived at the Courthouse, her mind was like a snow flurry blowing around in all directions. She proceeded to the courtroom itself and moved to her position, laying the folders on the wooden table. She had dressed carefully, for this was a man's world and she wanted to be taken seriously. It wasn't like working at her Daddy's law firm. No, this was real work, serious work. If she succeeds here today she could put a scumbag behind bars for many years, which was only what he deserved. People like him didn't belong loose on the streets. Yet in order to do that, she needed to be at her best, both mentally and physically. Now with these new problems preying on her mind, she regretted staying up so late last night. With such an important case, she should have gone to bed earlier, gotten more sleep. 

Suddenly her shoes felt tight and a hot flash of worry swept through her. Could it be ...? No, it couldn't grow that fast, could it? But what if it could? What exactly did she contract from Vincent last night? Even Father admitted he didn't know why Vincent was the way he was. Maybe anything was possible then.

NO she told herself firmly. Stop thinking like that. You just lost track of the days, that's all. Now push it out of your mind and concentrate on doing your job!

The Judge entered the room and everyone was told to rise. After a few moments, the case was introduced and the floor given to Catherine. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she stepped in front of the jury and others present. Yet she couldn't resist a quick glance at her legs, visible through her stockings. She tried to tell herself she was just checking if her skirt was straight, but she knew the truth. She was really checking for hair.

*****

Below, Vincent felt Catherine's anxiety and paced his chamber. He knew about the important case she was working on today and dismissed it as a case of the jitters. Still, he wished he could help her in some way.

But he knew he could never really be part of her world, not the way others could be. His physical appearance kept him locked away far below the city streets. Thousands of times, even hundreds of thousands, he had asked the silent moon and stars why. But if there were any divine beings listening, whether you call them gods or fate, they ignored his pleas. The truth was he was born with the face and hands of a beast, not a man. He could never walk in the sunlight, for doing so would be his doom. Modern man was ignorant and to quick to destroy what wasn't like them. They would only see him as a monster, closing their eyes to his knowledge of literature. For although Vincent had never attended school he was still a scholar and possessed a mind as sharp as any other man. But it was his compassionate, all too human heart that Catherine loved.

Sighing, Vincent collapsed on his bed, the brightly colored stain glass oval reflecting candlelight. He didn't know what to do about Catherine. He loved her with all his heart, yet how could they ever have a life together? She deserved so much more and he couldn't provide that. She belonged to the world Above, not living in the tunnels like a sewer rat. Yet no matter how many times he tried to tell her, she failed to see the problem. To him, she was like an Angel from Heaven: pure, clean and sent to brighten his gloomy existence.

Yet one didn't have a physical relationship with an angel. 

And that, he knew, was what Catherine wanted. Raising his hands before his eyes, Vincent stared at them. How he hated his hands, they of the sharp nails and tawny fur that could so easily kill. He thought of the numerous times he had come home late at night, those same hands covered in other men's blood. Often he had to pick bits of skin or bone out from under his nails. That he had never told Catherine. He didn't have to. She had witnessed what he was, what he could do. Although he would give anything to spare her that sight of violence, that was a luxury he didn't possess. Again and again he was forced to take lives to protect her, the number of deaths quickly piling up.

And still she wanted him. 

Vincent growled, showing his four pointed canines. How could he trust himself to love her that way? Not with these hands he couldn't. What if he were to go crazy and kill her? Injure her? No, he couldn't take that chance. Killing was becoming far too easy. 

****

Elliot sat in his office behind his big desk. His hands were behind his head and his eyes were closed. He knew he should be getting some work done; yet he found himself thinking of Cathy again. He had found this morning's encounter with her humorous, especially seeing her hairy legs. He knew she had some big secret she didn't want to tell him and he respected her right to privacy, yet he couldn't help but think about it. What was her big secret? He had pondered on it many other times and never came up with anything suitable. 

And why didn't Cathy love him? He thought of her hairy legs again and smiled. Maybe he was too formal for her, too stiff and pompous all the time? Did his wealth make him unapproachable? Was he scaring her away? 

Elliot sighed. He was tired of being alone all the time. It didn't matter if he was in his office or at home; both were equally quite and lonely. So he ended up staying all hours locked away in his office at the top floor of his office building. He had his wealth, yes, but what good was if he had no one to share it with? 

Finally deciding to do some work, he reached for the pen on his desk. As he reached, the tiny scratch on his hand caught his eyes. How had Cathy done that? Oh, he knew it had been a simple accident; she hadn't done it on purpose. But how sharp did one's nails have to be to cut skin so easily? What the heck was she doing to her nails? Filing them to points? Yet they hadn't been pointed .....

His leg itched and he bent to scratch it through the fine fabric of his trousers. The itch persisted, growing stronger. Hauling himself from the chair, he turned his back to the desk. Propping his foot on top of a stack of books, he pulled up his pant leg to see why it was itching so much. Expecting to find red from an insect bite, he found thick hair instead. The dark hair was so thick it was hard to actually find skin. "What the heck is going on here?"

A woman's laughter echoed through the room.

Elliot spun around to face his desk.

"BOO!" Shouted the strange dark haired woman kneeling on his desk, her hands flying towards his face. 

He stumbled backwards to avoid her long black nails, tripping over the stack of books. His back hit the bookcase, his weight tipping it slightly. Then he fell to the floor, books raining on top of him from the shelves above. Shoving books away from himself, he stared at her in fright. He had never seen her before that he was certain of. He would have remembered. She was short and slim, yet possessed a body well cared for. She was even beautiful, but the black leather clothing made him think of rough crowds, motorcycle gangs or other unsavory characters. Could she be an assassin sent to kill him? "Who ... who are you?"

She laughed again, rearranging herself on his desk. When her laughter faded, she leaned forward. "Ahh, poor baby. Did I scare you?"

"How did you get in here?" Elliot asked as he thought of the small handgun he kept in his desk drawer. As far as he could tell, she wasn't armed. The tight clothing she wore didn't leave many options for concealing a weapon. And both of her hands were in sight. He thought about rushing her, going for the handgun he kept in his desk drawer. Her swinging legs were blocking the drawer, but if he was fast enough...but maybe that wasn't such a good idea. She couldn't have got in here by herself. What if she had a team of armed men with her? "What do you want?"

"I got in here easily. I can go anywhere I want." She told him, smiling. She started to twist a long strand of her black hair around a finger. "And as for why I came, well, I just want to talk."

"Talk?" Elliot asked as he slowly inched to his feet. He watched her carefully, but she didn't seem to care. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Your little problem." She replied. Seeing his blank look, she elaborated. "You know, your lack of a love life. HER."

"Cathy?" Elliot asked, surprised. He couldn't imagine Cathy associating with such a woman. But what if she had meant something else? "What did you do to Cathy?"

"Little O me? I didn't do her anything. It's what she did to YOU!" She wiggled her finger, urging him to come closer. "See, I know all of her secrets. And she has a very big secret. You want to know what it is, don't you? Well, I'll tell you."

"You want money, don't you?" Elliot guessed. Perhaps she was trying some form of blackmail. Or perhaps someone had hired her to badmouth Catherine. "Look, I'm not interested in hearing whatever it is. So you might as well leave. If Cathy wants to tell me things, she will."

"Oh, I don't want anything." She told him, the smile still on her lips. "It's just that, well, she infected you with a very nasty bug. I bet you're getting hairy all ready, aren't you?"

Elliot paled, his eyes going to the red scratch on his hand. His heart beat loudly in his ears.

"Hmmmmm, I see she has. Well, that's all I wanted to say." The woman hopped off Elliot's desk. She stood in front of him for a minute. The top of her head didn't even reach his chin. She tilted her head to look up into his frightened eyes. "Oh, don't worry. It won't kill you."

Elliot was silent, one hand clamped over the scratch. 

"Poor baby, hiding it isn't going to make it go away." She walked around his desk until the large piece of furniture was between them. She bent and picked something off the floor. Tossing it onto his desk, he saw it was a newspaper. The front page to be exact. "She did that, you know."

Elliot followed her pointing finger to the headline.

TWO MORE BODIES FOUND TORN APART. WHAT IS LOOSE IN NEW YORK CITY?

Elliot swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Bye." She moved towards his office door and slipped out as silently as she had arrived. Grabbing his gun, Elliot hurried to the door and peered out. But she was no where in sight. He heard the sounds of other people working: soft voices, the clicking of keyboards, the tap tap tap of shoes on a smooth floor. Closing his office door, Elliot sat down to think. 

****

Out on the busy street, the mysterious woman laughed. Crowds parted before her automatically, as if they sensed her powers and feared getting too close. She was confident the millionaire would believe her lies. And why not? All he needed was a shove in the right direction. She would let him come to his own conclusions. Now that the game was set in motion, she would sit back and watch the fun unfold. Hurrying around the corner, she disappeared in a sparkle of red lights.


	2. Chapter 2

The two women stared at each other, scowling. They were as different from each other as night and day. Nor did they get along well, their feuds going back centuries. Mostly they tried to stay out of each other's way, but sometimes that didn't work.

Like now.

"Leave them alone!" The blonde wailed, her big blue eyes sad and filled with compassion. She truly was beautiful; some might even say the perfect woman. Thick blonde curls fell to the center of her back, some of it cascading over her shoulders. The pink gossamer gown she wore, which reached all the way down to the golden slippers on her feet, did little to hide the fact she only wore a skimpy bikini under it. She knew she had a great figure and loved to show it off. There was even a thigh high slit on the gown to better reveal her long legs. Now she stood with her bare arms crossed over her bosom.

"No! Why should I?" The woman in black leather snarled, her lips twisting up into a sneer. "I'm just having a little fun anyway."

"And I'm telling you to leave them alone! I went through lots of trouble to get those two together and you're going to spoil it!" The blonde wailed.

"Oh, like you're a real genius!" The black haired women rolled her eyes. "You're the airhead you always been. You got two men in love with the same women. Some Goddess of Love you are!"

The blonde's mouth dropped open. "That was an accident!"

"You can't stop me anyway." Raising her heeled black boot, Discord slammed it into the blonde's stomach. She laughed as Aphrodite tumbled to the hard floor, landing on her back with an oof. "Stay out of my way or you'll be sorry!"

"I'm going to tell Father on you!" Aphrodite threatened from her spot on the floor.

"Zeus?" Discord laughed. "He's little more than a pathetic mortal these days, hiding from Hera. But go run to Daddy. If you can find him!"

The Goddess of Love picked herself up from the floor, one hand to her stomach. Then she teleported out, pink rose petals twirling in the air where she had been.

"Hmmph!" Smiling, Discord walked over to a huge gray stone throne and seated herself, her arms resting on the wide armrests. She flicked her hand and a swirling vortex appeared in the air before her. Slowly an image formed in the vortex. It showed Elliot in his office, talking on the phone. Discord could hear everything he said. "How predictable."

Picking up a bowl of popcorn, Discord settled down to watch the drama unfold.

*****

As the day went on, Catherine grew more frazzled. She had spent a good portion of her lunch hour shaving her legs. And her feet. If the hair just kept growing back, she didn't know what she would do. So far it seemed to be limited to her legs and feet, but what if it spread? What would she do then?

She started to seriously consider that she had caught something from Vincent. Maybe it was because of their Bond they shared, that empathic connection. That could possibly explain why no one else living Below had ever contracted it from him. 

Would she end up looking like him?

The thought sent a shiver down her spine. She knew what that would do to Vincent. It would rake him with immense guilt. She wanted so strongly to believe that it wasn't true, yet what other explanation could there be? She hadn't gone anywhere except Below, to work and the other usual places. She hadn't been out of the country or eaten any strange foods. No, the only thing that had happened was that scratch. 

Then the phone rang. 

It had been Elliot, of course. She had been dreading he would call since she had re-shaved her legs at noon. The image of his blood on her nails just wouldn't go away and she had worried she might have infected him. His panicked voice on the phone confirmed it, even though he hadn't mentioned it. Elliot was too smart to do that, for anyone could be listening. The last thing he needed was some scandal in the news. So they had set up an appointment for late in the day, after almost everyone had left the building. 

Now Catherine stood outside his office door, trying to think how she would explain this to him. How to explain it without mentioning Vincent or the world Below? She couldn't break her oath of secrecy to Father. Too much was at stake. Not only Vincent's life, but all the others that relied on the tunnels as a haven from the too tough world Above. Perhaps she could stall him, tell him to take tomorrow off while she took this problem to Father? But what could Father do? Sure, he was a doctor but this was obviously something totally new. She couldn't expect him to have a cure she could carry to Elliot. Yet she had to tell the millionaire something.

Taking a deep breath, Catherine opened the door and stepped into Elliot's office. She paused in the doorway, the oblong of light brightening the dark office. Why were all the lights off? "Elliot?"

"Cathy? Oh, I'm so glad you came. Please come in and close the door." His voice came from somewhere in the office.

Catherine's pulse sped up. Elliot was acting like Vincent now, hiding in shadows! Her worry increased and the room seemed to grow too hot. How fast had the infection affected Elliot? Perhaps it worked faster on men since they were more hairy to start with? "Elliot, why are you sitting in the dark?"

"Please, Cathy. Just do as I say." The voice replied.

Sighing, Catherine closed the door, and then flipped on the overhead lights. Bright light flooded the room. She expected to find the millionaire sitting behind his big desk, but found him lying on the sofa he kept in his office. He threw his arm over his eyes, squinting at the sudden light. His hands were dark with black hair, as was his face. The factual structure, she noted, didn't change. He still looked like Elliot, although a very hairy Elliot. 

He sat up, taking his arm away as his eyes grew adjusted to the light. "You don't look surprised, Cathy. And I know why. I know your secret now, your big secret."

Catherine gasped, her eyes growing wide. How had Elliot found out about Vincent? It just wasn't possible! "How?"

"Look at me!" Elliot cried, waving his arms about. "You think you can infect me and I wouldn't find out? You're a werewolf, Cathy, and you turned me into one!"

Catherine's jaw dropped, shocked at what Elliot had said. "Elliot, that's not true! I'm not a werewolf and neither are you."

"Then how do you explain this?" Elliot asked as he got to his feet and slowly walked to his desk. Picking up a newspaper, he shoved it at her. "And this? Some woman came to see me today about you. She said you were the one behind those slayings. I didn't want to believe her, but with all this hair and those sharp nails you have ... or should I call them claws? And yes, I have those claws now, too."

"Elliot, I feel terrible. I never meant for anything like this to happen." Catherine knew now how Vincent must feel when he took a life, for unless she could somehow find a cure, she had just destroyed Elliot's life. Unlike most people, the millionaire lived a very public life and was always in the news. Such a sudden change couldn't be kept secret for very long. She would be forced to take him Below, especially if any evidence of Vincent would show up in his blood. The world could have no proof or knowledge of Vincent's existence. "But you have to believe me I'm not a werewolf."

Elliot smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. "Cathy, I'm not angry at you."

"You're not?" asked Catherine, surprised. 

"Of course not. You didn't do it on purpose." Elliot explained, still smiling. He moved closer to Catherine, the newspaper forgotten. "And I don't blame you for killing those scumbags, either. No doubt they attacked you and you only defended yourself. Besides, now that your big secret is out in the open, we can talk. And since we're both werewolves now, maybe we should get married and have some pups. What do you say? I mean, that's what werewolves have, isn't it? Pups?"

"No, Elliot. We're not going to get married because we're not werewolves!" Catherine told him, gripping his shoulders. She shook him a bit to get the idea across. The last thing she needed was for him to think he was a werewolf from the movies, invulnerable to everything but silver bullets. 

"Oh. Then what are we?" He asked, confused.

"I don't know." Catherine admitted, thinking of Vincent. "But I just caught this thing myself. Someone I know scratched me and I think I may have caught it from him, passing it on to you."

"And what about the woman?" Elliot asked. "The one that was in my office, her hair black as a raven? She looked dangerous, Cathy. Dressed all in black leather with bits of silver. I think she was paid by someone to say things about you. She managed to get in here this morning without any one of my staff seeing her come or go. I don't know how she did it. And she knew about you scratching me, this hair and she said she knew your secret."

Catherine was shocked. How was it possible? Were they being watched? And did the woman know about Vincent? Somehow Catherine thought she did. In fact, she was sure of it. 

And what if the woman was the cause of this? That made more sense than the idea of Vincent's uniqueness being contagious. And that, in turn, made her very dangerous.

Suddenly Catherine became aware of how very alone they were, how vulnerable. Around them the building was silent as a grave, everyone else having gone home hours ago. She gripped Elliot's wrist, pulling him towards the door. "We have to go. It's not safe here."

Before Catherine could take two steps, Discord appeared in a red sparkle of lights. Her lips curled upward as she spoke. "You're not going anywhere!"

Catherine and Elliot both gasped. One-second they had been alone, the next second she had been standing in front of them! They moved closer to each other, unsure of what to do. 

"Who are you?" Catherine finally asked. Fear swept through her like a tidal wave. She knew it was traveling through the Bond to Vincent, but what could Vincent do against a person who could just appear out of the very air itself? 

"I'm the Goddess Discord and you're worst nightmare!" She hissed at them, raising her empty hands. Twin beams of red energy shot out at the startled couple. Within seconds they were both trapped, the red lines of light holding them as securely as bands of steel as the light wrapped around their bodies numerous times. The only thing they could still move were their hands and heads. 

"Why are you doing this?" Elliot asked, his curiosity above his fear.

Discord grinned. "I have bigger fish to fry and you're the bait." With that, Discord popped out taking both Catherine and Elliot with her.


	3. Chapter 3

Discord reappeared with her two captives in tow at one of Elliot's new construction sites. This late in the day with the sun already down, the site was deserted. Not even a night watchman stood guard, for as of yet there wasn't anything to guard. Groundbreaking had been a few weeks ago and the more serious parts of construction were ready to start. A giant earth-moving machine rested in a distant corner of the large lot. Off to one side there was a stack of steel I beams, a pre-fabricated sewer pipe, a barrel of oil and several pieces of wood. A chain link fence covered with thick orange plastic proclaimed it a Hard Hat Area. The fence really wasn't designed to keep trespassers out, but to protect Mr. Burch from lawsuits. Too many people these days didn't watch were they were walking and would otherwise accidentally fall into the deep hole of his construction project. Now the covered fence would serve Discord's purpose all to well: to keep prying eyes off her activities.

The Goddess stared around the deep pit they stood in, one hand on her hip. The pit would soon be transformed into the hotel's basement, but for now was just bare earth. The walls of the pit were illregular with big grooves left by the machinery, so it would be all too easily for the two captives to escape if they ever got loose. The Goddess turned to look at them. "I suppose this will have to do."

Elliot swallowed several times, trying to shove his stomach back down where it belonged. The millionaire felt like throwing up from the instantaneous transportation Discord had used on them. He glanced at Catherine and saw she looked sick as well. Her skin was paler than normal, a tad white around the lips and she gulped air through her mouth. The red energy bands glowed around them, stopping any hopes they had for escape. Even if they ran for it, they couldn't get past the fence and the gate the construction crew used would be securely locked.

This can't be real. Elliot thought. He had always thought the Fates had played a trick on him, making him fall in love with the perfect woman. Unfortunately that perfect woman didn't love him back, not even with all his wealth. But this...! It seemed more like some dream, for Gods just didn't appear to people anymore. Truthfully, he didn't know if they ever did. But now this woman was forcing him to question everything he believed in. It was like one of those alien abductions you read about in the tabloids; bizarre enough to be interesting but yet you never really believed it. Instead you treated it as another form of entertainment, like movies or books. That's how he felt now. But living it was a major difference. If he wasn't careful, this Goddess was going to kill him and he didn't even know why.

Cathy, this is about Cathy. He thought as his mind cleared and his stomach settled. He remembered the night his father had died. Assassins had been after him and he had gotten away by diving into the water. Cathy had been with him and later they had escaped into the sewers. The strange thing was Cathy had known exactly where she had been going and there had been that awful sound. Elliot winced at the memory. It was the most frightening sound he had ever heard, even worst than the helicopter exploding with his father on board. It had been the roar of a wild beast, like some jungle cat from Africa. Then there had been snarling, the gunfire of the assassins shooting at the beast. Yet the beast had won that night, even against professionals with semi automatic machine guns.

What was this mysterious beast that had saved them that night? And would it come again tonight? But how would it know they were in danger? Elliot sighed, knowing he was once again pondering Cathy's great secret. But perhaps tonight he'd finally get some answers ... if he lived that long. 

*****

Vincent raced through the tunnels, his long cloak flying out behind him. Catherine was in danger again and he had to save her. For a moment her location seemed to suddenly change and he had been forced to take another tunnel. Vincent didn't understand how that could be, but perhaps Catherine could explain the mystery later. The important thing now was reaching her and killing the enemy that threatened her.

*****

"You're little friend is on the way." Discord smiled at Catherine as she turned to face her mortal prisoners. "But then, you know that don't you? Hmm, let's arrange a party for him. This place has potential but right now it's so BOR-ING."

Discord raised her arms and pointed at the pile of steel I beams. The steel began to shake, rattling loudly. Then piece after piece flew up into the air as easily as a bird taking flight. The first heavy segment landed only a foot away from Elliot and Catherine, causing the two to stumble backward in fright. If it were to fall on them, they would be crushed instantly. But the long piece of strong steel just buried itself partway into the ground with the force of a tornado. The ground beneath them trembled with the force and they both lost their footing, falling onto their backs. They watched in shock as a structure began to form before their eyes. Discord used no bolts or welding in her work, yet the beams stayed together like magic. When it was done, a giant metal T stood in the center of the pit. 

But the Goddess wasn't finished yet. More steel beams flew from the tall stack, each driving itself into the ground around the giant T. These were equally spaced from each other in all directions, about four feet between each one. The T rose from the center like a skyscraper among regular houses. 

Elliot stared at the new steel jungle around him. Glancing at Cathy, he saw her shake her head. Like him, she had no idea what Discord was up to. At first Elliot feared the Goddess was trying to hit them with the steal beams, but now that was clearly not the case. "What are you building?"

"A battle zone for a true warrior and one worthy to be my opponent. Sadly, one of you will end up dying tonight." Discord laughed as she magically transformed all the steel beams into wood, with only the giant T staying metal. "Perfect! Now for the finishing touches."

Catherine had been silent all this time trying to think of something to do, but nothing came to mind. And now after this show of powers, what could she do? It was obvious this Goddess had it in for Vincent. And how could Vincent ever fight her and win when she could do almost anything she wished with a simple motion of her hand? No, she had to keep Vincent away from here, even if she lost her life in the bargain. Too many times Vincent had been injured in saving her, often his injuries growing worse and worse with each fight. No, Vincent would arrive expecting to face a regular criminal with a gun. She had to stop this now before he arrived.

Closing her eyes, Catherine concentrated on her Bond. Then with great control, she forced a calm she really didn't feel on herself. With a final decision, she snapped her end of the bond closed. 

******

Vincent just emerged from a sewer hole when his connection with Catherine disappeared. He paused for a moment, breathing hard through his partly open mouth. His pointed canines were visible as a soft breeze blew through his golden mane of hair that stuck out from underneath his dark hood. His blue eyes focused on the tall chain link fence just before him, partly covered in orange plastic. A large sign warned the public that it was a hardhat area and thus dangerous. But a second, even larger sign gave Vincent hope he was at the right spot: Elliot Burch was building a hotel.

Dashing forward, Vincent leaped at the fence. Gripping the links, he easily climbed to the top and leaped over. Expecting to find solid ground on the other side, he was surprised to find himself sliding down the steep sides of the pit. Still, Vincent managed to stay on his feet, skiing down the loose layer of soil on his boots. Stopping at the bottom, Vincent crouched for a moment to survey the situation. 

A strange maze of wooden beams rose before him with a giant T rising from the center. He figured the wooden ones were about twice as tall as he was. He had seen Elliot's construction sites before and they hadn't looked like this. Modern hotels were built of metal and concrete, not wood. Something odd was going on here and Catherine had gotten herself involved. He suspected she had closed the Bond to protect him, yet he would gladly risk his life to save the woman he loved. 

Suspecting men with guns were hiding among the wooden poles, Vincent crept forward carefully. He would use his cat-like senses to strike out before they knew he had arrived. In fact, he had a great advantage on his side: surprise. No doubt they didn't even know he existed.

****

"Time to rumble!" Discord laughed, her dark eyes glowing red. "And time for you two to DIE!"

"No, kill me but let Cathy go." Elliot quickly offered.

"Sorry, but I need both of you to play this game." Discord flipped her hand, turning the red energy coils around them into thick rope. Then both Catherine and Elliot shot up into the air. Before they could even scream they were suspended from the top part of the steel T. 

"Oh my..." Elliot grasped the rope with both hands, for now his hands and arms were free. The rope circled around his waist, squeezing him tightly. Glancing down, he saw there was nothing below his feet but open air. The ground seemed to be very far away but the fall probably wasn't enough to kill him if he landed right. Of course, he was better at paperwork than leaping off roofs...

Catherine was suspended from the other side of the T, the rope cutting into her waist. She clung to the rope before her. Looking up, she saw the rope went through a neat round hole in the end of the metal beam. She swayed slightly as a breeze swept past and she could see Elliot on the other side. Perhaps if she could saw the rope with something....

*****

Discord leaped with ease onto the top of one of the wooden poles, a wicked grin on her face. She held out a hand and a long wooden spear appeared in it. This was the moment she had been looking forward to. Now all she had to do was convince the kitty to play. "I know you're out there. If you want to save your friends, you have to fight me. If you win, I return them to normal. Otherwise they'll stay kitty cats just like you!"

"Catherine?" Vincent stared up at the one he loved, shocked. He couldn't believe his eyes. Surely it was some trick! But no, he could see the brown fur on her legs and on her hands. Even more surprising, was the thick black fur on ... Elliot? If it weren't for the clothing, he didn't think he'd recognize the millionaire. How could such a thing happen?

He tore his eyes off Catherine and Elliot just in time to see Discord throw the spear. For a moment Vincent was confused, for she hadn't thrown it in his direction. Was she aiming at someone else? 

And was the short woman with the long black hair the enemy? As far as Vincent could recall he had never fought a woman. Surely she didn't think she could fight him and win? "I do not wish to hurt you. Let them go and we can depart in peace."

The spear struck the large barrel of oil, creating a large gaping hole. Oil gushed out, covering the ground beneath the wooden poles. Within moments it spread everywhere, having been speeded up by Discord's magic.

Vincent raised his cat-like nose, sniffing the air. That strong smell....

"Fine! If that's the way you want it!" Discord raised her hand and a ball of fire appeared. Whipping her hand back like a baseball pitcher, she flung the fireball forward. It sailed through the air until it landed on the thin layer of oil. Instantly fire erupted everywhere in the pit.

Vincent leaped upward just in time, landing on one of the wooden poles. The fire burned and crackled below him as it threw off pungent fumes that bothered the eyes and throat. The woman stood calmly on another wooden pole and he examined her now. He didn't see any weapons in her hand, so he was unsure how she had created the fire. Had she dropped her weapons into the flames? He also found himself reluctant to attack a woman with his claws....

"Better." Discord purred as her eyes shifted upward. "But it could be so much more dramatic!"

The Goddess raised her bare hands, sending two much smaller fireballs at each suspended person. 

"Catherine!" Vincent cried in horror, waiting for the fireball to strike its target. But to his somewhat relief, the fireball hit the rope above her. The same happened to the rope holding Elliot. Both ropes slowly burned, the fire high enough not to actually threaten the person directly below it. Then Vincent's eyes traveled downward to where they would land when the rope burned through: the burning oil pit! "NO!"

"If you act fast enough, you can save one of them. But which one will you save?" Discord laughed. She jumped into the air flying directly at Vincent. Her black boot struck him on his wide chest and he tumbled backwards, surprised. 

Vincent managed to twist in the air as he fell, the power of Discord's kick sending him far enough to grip at the edge of the next wooden pole. His chest ached where she had kicked him and it wouldn't surprise him if she had cracked a few of his ribs. He dug his claws into the wood and tried to haul himself upward. But the pole was completely smooth and there was nothing for his boots to get purchase on. The intense heat from the fire below began to warm his boot bottoms and he knew he had to get out of there before he fell. Concentrating all his strength in his arms, he flung himself upward. Vincent's body flew through the air and he landed on another pole. 

Remembering what Discord had said first, he decided to attack her. He couldn't let Catherine go through life being covered in fur like he was. He didn't know who this woman was, but it was clear she wasn't normal. Besides, she had attacked him and had ignored his warning. Dashing forward from one pole to another, Vincent jumped at her. Just before he struck, Discord leaped high into the air. He sailed through underneath her and saw the fire rushing up at him. Just before he landed in it, he twisted around and stuck his claws into the closest wooden pole. Quickly crawling up it and leaping to the top of the pole, he searched for Discord. Where had she gone?

"Vincent!" Catherine screamed as her rope jerked alarmingly. To her horror, she saw part of it start to untwine as the fire ate through it. 

Vincent jerked his head upward. He had forgotten about Catherine and Elliot! Both ropes were burning and rapidly coming apart. And there was still Discord to deal with. How could he save both of them and defeat Discord at the same time? It seemed impossible. Yet he had to try. 

"You'll never win!" Discord laughed as she once again ran at him from pole top to pole top. When she leaped from the last pole she twisted in midair so she flew at Vincent feet first. 

Vincent saw her coming and dropped to a sitting position. As Discord flew by above him, he reached out and caught her by the long hair. Discord shrieked angrily, but Vincent ignored her as he spun her around a few times. Letting her go, he watched as she fell between two wooden poles and disappeared into the fire. The fire leaped up momentarily in the spot she landed, crackling hungrily and then it subsided.

The fire was now consuming many of the wooden poles as well, fire dancing up their sides. The one Vincent sat on tilted alarmingly and he jumped to his feet. Glancing up towards the two burning ropes, he saw that both were almost eaten through. 

"Vincent!" Catherine screamed again as her rope continued to burn and unravel before her frightened eyes. 

"Help!" Elliot cried as his rope jerked and seemed to lengthen as the fire ate at it. He had witnessed the entire battle from up there, wondering if this mystery man was and how in the world he had defeated Discord. And how he was going to save both of them now. He glanced down at the crackling flames beneath him, already imagining the intense heat. "Save Cathy!"

Vincent calculated which rope would break first due to weight and started to run. Many of the wooden poles tilted underneath his feet when his weight landed on them, yet he didn't give up. Also, there was no pole directly beneath Catherine or Elliot, so he'd have to catch them in mid-jump. If he jumped either too early or too late, they'd land in the fire. The first rope snapped and Vincent leaped across the gap, catching Elliot. Without stopping, Vincent ran towards where Catherine was while adjusting his balance for the extra weight he carried. The flames leaped higher now as more of the poles burned and Vincent's thick cloak protected him. The second rope snapped and Vincent leaped across the gap, catching Catherine so she landed on top of Elliot. Running straight, Vincent jumped off the poles and all three landed on the slope of ground surrounding the pit. They scrambled towards higher ground to escape the fire.

The last of the wooden poles collapsed into the burning pit and a few minutes later the T-shaped metal beam followed it. Then, like magic, the fire vanished! 

Discord stood there, a frown on her face. "You beat me!"

There was a white flash around both Catherine and Elliot. When the light faded, the extra hair was gone. They were back to normal.

"Oooh, I am so ANGRY!" Discord raced around the pit like a mad women. Spotting the giant earth-moving machine, she ran at it and kicked it with a foot. There was a loud crack and the machine fell to the ground in two pieces. Discord leaped on half of the machine, tearing it apart with her bare hands. When she was done, she was covered in grease. She paused, panting for air. Her dark eyes locked onto the three startled witnesses to her tantrum. "I'll be back! Mark my words, for you have not seen the last of Discord!"

Then the Goddess disappeared in a flash of red light.

Elliot turned to his rescuer, startled to see Vincent's lion-like face. But after dealing with Discord and seeing what she could do, the shock wasn't as strong as it would otherwise be. And it also became clear why Cathy had been so secretive. "You're the one that saved me that night, aren't you?"

"Yes," Vincent admitted as he helped Catherine up to the fence. "But you must promise now to keep my existence a secret and never tell anyone."

"I promise." Elliot said as he pulled out a key to unlock the gate. Luckily he had an extra one in his pocket. He often worked late and even on weekends, so he liked to check on progress at odd hours when the crews weren't there. "Heck, if I tried telling anyone what I saw this night they wouldn't believe me anyway. Even I don't believe it. I'd end up locked in a mental hospital."

"Vincent, she was a Goddess!" Catherine informed her love as he wrapped an arm protectively around her shoulder. Vincent's clothing smelled faintly from smoke, but Catherine didn't care. The only thing that was important was that he was safe, that they all were safe. "A real Goddess!"

Vincent thought of all the times he had troubled deaf heaven with his cries. Perhaps someone up there had been listening. And what if there were others like Discord, other Gods and Goddesses? Had they been listening, too? Had one of them sent Catherine to him that fateful night? 

But what had Discord really wanted? Her attack seemed so pointless. Yet it must have served some purpose only she knew. Vincent walked Catherine and Elliot towards the safety her apartment building. From there, Elliot could call for his limo and go home. Yet he sensed the three of them would have a lot to think and talk about in the coming days. Whether they liked it or not, their lives just had gotten more complicated. 

They reached the building; Catherine and Elliot taking the elevator up while Vincent climbed his usual route to her balcony. Unlocking the apartment door, Elliot used her phone to call his car. After the car was on the way, Elliot stared at Catherine. "Cathy, did you like me better when I was more hairy?"

"No, Elliot. I don't love Vincent because of his fur or his appearance. It's the things inside that I love; his compassion and willingness to help total strangers even if it means risking his own life. That's what I love." Catherine explained.

Thinking of the night's events, Elliot smiled weakly. "I think I'm beginning to understand that. He is quite amazing. There are very few people who could do what he did tonight."

After Elliot left, Catherine joined Vincent on the balcony. He held her in the safety of his strong arms as they stared together up at the distant stars. 

THE END


End file.
